Anthony Christian, Minnesota State University, Mankato

1. Anthony Christian, Minnesota State University, Mankato How do people think about their decisions: Understanding how scenario domain influences the framing effect

2. Framing Effect: Example • Imagine that you are an engineer working with residents on a group of small islands in the Caribbean Sea that are frequently ravaged by hurricanes. Your job is to help build new housing that can withstand the weather. An estimated 300 people’s lives will be in danger in the next hurricane season. You have come up with two different plans to help protect the residents; you need to choose one of the following plans to put into effect. Gain-framed options: • Plan A: If Plan A is adopted, 100 people will be protected from the hurricanes. • Plan B: If Plan B is adopted, there is a 1/3 chance that all 300 people will be protected from the hurricanes, and a 2/3 chance that no people will be protected from the hurricanes. Loss-framed options: • Plan A: If Plan A is adopted, 200 people will die because of the hurricanes. • Plan B: If Plan B is adopted, there is a 1/3 chance that nobody will die because of the hurricanes, and a 2/3 chance that all 300 people will die.

3. Framing Effect • The framing effect (Tversky & Kahneman, 1981): • People prefer a certain option to an uncertain option when the options are phrased as gains • People prefer an uncertain option to a certain option when the options are phrased as losses

4. Scenario Domain • The content of the decision scenario influences the extent to which frame impacts choice. • Human life vs. Property / monetary loss • Framing effects more likely with human life scenarios (Jou, Shanteau, &Harris,1996) “BUT WHY”

5. Why do we make such choices? • Why does scenario domain influence choice? • Why is the framing effect stronger when thinking about human lives? • Does emotion play a role? • What are people thinking and feeling regarding choice?

6. Current Study • Most research only measures choice • What are the reasons for people’s choices? • In the current research respondents were asked to write down their thoughts and feelings regarding these scenarios. • Domain: Human life vs. property • H1: Framing effects stronger in human life domain • Thought Listing Responses: • H2: I predicted that human life would elicit more emotion statements while property would elicit risk statements

7. Methods • Participants • 137 participants (79% female) • Procedure • 3 human life scenarios • 3 property scenarios • Gain or loss-framed options (between-subjects) • Measures • Choice • Open ended thought listing procedure

8. Coding • How did we code • We broke down each response into one of four sections: • Emotion • Risk • Explanation • Questioning

9. Results (Hypothesis 1) • Were framing effects stronger for human life scenarios compared to property scenarios? • Yes • Human life: t = 3.83, p < .0001 • Property: t = 1.19, p < .24 Percent of certain options chosen

10. Results (Hypothesis 2) • H2: I predicted that human life would elicit more emotion responses while property would elicit more risk responses.

11. Emotion and Risk Statements

12. Summary • Emotion and Risk • In the human-life scenarios, participants responded with significantly more emotion and risk statements compared to the property scenarios. • Emotion and Risk p<.0001 • Explanation and Questioning • There was no significant differences for scenario domain for explanation or questioning.

13. Future research • Emotion plays a role in framing effect, what about personality? • Emotion plays a role in framing effect, what about group think?